Louis wagner



(NdModel.)

, L. WAGNER.

SAFETY DEVICE POR GRAINMILLS.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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ATTORNEY.

N. PETERS Pmlucmgnpher, wuhmgvun. D cA VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS VAGNER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN MARR,OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GRAIN-MILLS.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,162, dated January7, 1890.

Application filed October Z4, 1889. Serial No. 328,002. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS WAGNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Grain-Mills, ot'which-the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic safety device for mills.

The invention has for its object to provide mechanism for avoiding thedamage that follows an explosion, and also to prevent fires that usuallyfollow such explosions.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation oil theimproved safety device, in which a portion is shown in section. 2 and 3are vertical sections ot the conduit-pipe, one section being in atransverse direction with respect to the other. Fig. -1 shows how aspring may be used on the beam instead of a counterpoise-weight.

The letter A designates a malt-mill, of which the rollers a areindicated by broken lines. A hopper or funnel O is below the rollers,and a conduit-pipe D leading from the funnel serves to conduct theground grain to an elevator or a receptacle.

It is deemed unnecessary for the purposes of this description to showany other part of the mill.

The conduit is provided on its interior with a vertically-movablecut-oit cylinder E, by means ot" which a certain accumulation of groundgrain may be maintained in the conduit, sutlicient, at least, to act asa barrier and to prevent fire from passing down the conduit. The entireconduit is stationary, and just below that part where the cut-offcylinder moves up and down has an enlargement f, which forms an invertedshoulder g. The cut-off cylinder E is upright in the conduit, and at itslower end has a conical bottom h. The point of the cone stands up in thecylinder, and the cylinder-walls close to the base of the cone havedischarge-ports t'. A hanger-rodj is attached in a suitable way to theout-off cylinder and projects upward. Its upper end, in view of otherparts which are here shown, has a jointed section j', the jointconnection being shown at 7a. The

hanger-rod connects with a pivoted beam I, whose pivot Z is on the sideof the funnel O. This end of the beam is within the funnel and the otherend on the outside. This latter end has a collar o, which is loose oradj ustable along the beam, and a weight n hangs from said collar. Thiscounterpoise-weight n will normally sustain the cut-off cylinder E andkeep it elevated in the conduit high enough to bring itsdischarge-portst' above the inverted shoulder g of the conduitenlargement. above, no ground grain can pass below; but the ground grainwill accumulate within the cut-oit cylinder E until the weight of suchaccumulated grain overbalances the counterpoise-Weight n, when thecut-oit cylinder will descend in the conduit far enough to expose theports i below the shoulder g, whereupon the accumulation of ground grainwill discharge and pass down. It will be seen, therefore, thecounterpoise-weight n must not only elevate and sustain the movablecut-oit cylinder E, but must also sustain the weight of a predeterminedamount of ground grain that will accumulate therein. In addition to thisa plug-valve p is provided in the conduit about the cut-off cylinder toentirely close the conduit. The conduit is enlarged just above that partwhere the cut-off cylinder moves up and down, and has a seat q for theplug-valve p, which latter has a verticallysliding movement. Theplug-valve has a tubular neck p', and the hanger-rod 7' passes looselythrough this neck and also through a stationary guide-bar r, extendingcrosswise of the conduit. Thus the hanger-rod j may move up or downwithout affecting the plugvalve; or, on the other hand, the plug-valvemay move up or down without aitecting the hanger-rod.

A vent-flue s connects with the conduit above the plug-valve and leadsoutside of the building and provides an outlet for the harmless escapeot ire or the sudden expansion due to an explosion. This iue where itjoins the conduit has a flap-valve a, pivoted at o at its lower edge.When this valve is closed, it stands upright, as shown, and when open itfalls to a horizontal position within the vent- When these ports t' arethus,

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fiue s. This Hap-valve has at its lower edge an arm 1U, which projectstoward the plugvalve p and serves the purpose hereinafter described.Attached to the neck p of the plug-valve is one end of a lever 0c, whichis pivoted on a rod extending across the conduit. lVhen the flap-valveis open, its arln w comes on top of the free end of the plugvalve leverQc, as shown in Figs. l and 3,'and its frictional contact therewithkeeps said free end down, and thereby keeps the plugvalve p elevated orin the open position` and the irictional contact also keeps thevent-valve u up or in the closed position. l/Vhen an eX- plosion ensues,the vent-valve u will open, and in so doing its arm w will set free thelever x and allow the conduit-valve to close.

` The action of the device is entirely autom atic or self-operating.

Having described my invention, I claiml. The combination of a grain-millfunnel, a conduit leading from the funnel and having an enlargement andan inverted shoulder g, and a balanced cut-off cylinder movable up anddown in said conduit above the enlargement and having at one end abottom and side discharge ports c' in the Walls close to the bottom.

2. The combination of a grain-mill groundgrain conduit having avalve-seat q, a plugvalve having a vertical movement, apivotedsupporting-lever 0c, having' one end attached to said plug-valve, aVent-fine connected with the conduit, and a flap-valve to close saidflue and provided with an arm w to come in frictional contact with thefree end of the said supporting-lever.

3. The combination of a grain-mill funnel, a conduit leading from thefunnel, a cut-off cylinder movable up and down in said conduit, a beamI, pvoted to the side of the funneland having one end Within and theother end outside of the funnel, a hanger-rod connecting the cut-offcylinder with the inner end of the beam, a vertically-movable valveprovided With a tubular neck, through which the said hanger-rod passesloosely, a pivoted supporting-lever having one end attached' to saidValve, and an arm w, substantially as described, to come in frictionalcontact With the free end of the said supporting-lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

Lotus WAGNER.

Vitnesses: y J oHN E. Monats, J No. T. MADDoX.

